I don’t know if you’ve realized this, but the 2019 Valley League Annual will be available this Friday, December 6! 

Here are a few questions I have received over the past few months to help everyone understand what this thing actually is:

Q: So, what is this thing you’re calling an “annual?”

A: It’s really a collection of everything I can write about one season- the 2019 VBL season.  So it has the results of every single game played, for example, along with tons of other stuff, like writeups on former Valley Leaguers who are now playing professionally, park effects, and individual VBL team MVPs and Cy Youngs.

Q: What does it cost? 

A: The book costs $10- less than two overpriced drinks from your favorite coffeeshop!

Q: How long is it?

A: It comes in at about 80,000 words. The PDF is over 260 pages.

Q: What form is the book in?

A: As I’m just getting started with this idea, I don’t have a “publisher.” So the book is a PDF that I will email to you. You can read it on your computer, tablet, or phone, and could also print a copy for posterity if you would like. (I will print a copy for sure.)

Q: How can I order it on Friday?

A: I will post ordering information in the early morning on Friday. I will accept payments through Paypal and Venmo, and I will email a copy to you as soon as I can.

Q: What if I don’t use Paypal or Venmo? 

A: You can use Paypal as a guest, by the way, but if you don’t want to send me $10 digitally, please reach out to me via email (johnl(at)allthingsvalleyleague.com) and we can work something out for sure. I’ll be flexible. If you want a copy, let’s make it happen!

Q: How do I know that my son will appear in the annual?

A: Some of the players are no-brainers. The word “Nagle” appears on 35 different pages, and “Czech” on 37, for example. The word “Ward” appears on 80 pages. But even if your son was only in the Valley for a little while, one chapter of this book is a list of every single player who appeared in a game (449 of them!), so everyone’s name appears at least once.

Q: Is the Annual just a collection of stuff that has already appeared on the website?

A: Nope. Some of it, sure, but there are pages and pages of extra info that will never appear on the website.

Q: Why would you do something like this?

A: I’ve always wanted to put some kind of publication together regarding this league, and each and every summer has tons of stories and interesting tidbits to share. I love this league, and I love writing about it. And one last thought- why not? I already write thousands of words every year on the VL, so why not put something together?

Q: Wait, are you only one guy?

A: Yeah, I get this one a lot. Last summer I ran into a VBL fan who asked, “Are you one of the All Things Valley League guys?” Yeah, I am actually the only ATVL guy. You can read a little bit more about me by clicking here.

Q: Do you have any other publications? Any in the works?

A: I “published” a digital copy of the 2015 Valley League Annual in March 2019 as a test to see if I could actually put one of these things together. That’s available for $4.99 if you’re interested. I do not have any other publications in the works at the moment, but I have some ideas… more info to come?

Q: Will you do a 2020 Annual? 

A: Easy there, sparky. Let’s get this one finished and rolling before we worry about next year. But if you would want a 2020 book, letting me know can’t hurt.

If you have any other questions that aren’t covered here, reach out; I’d be glad to answer them!